Test Prep 101 – Follow the 3Ps to Excel at SAT* and ACT® Tests

In today's competitive college admissions environment, doing well enough on the SAT™ and ACT™ may seem a daunting task. But with some work, and the right preparation and practice, you can demystify these tests and turn in your score best scores. Sylvan Learning, offers the following three-step approach – the 3 Ps – Pace, Prepare, Practice – that will make it happen.

Pace

Even though it's still four years off, you should begin to prepare for college admissions as soon as you enter high school. This is the time to begin laying the foundation for the math, science and language skills you will need to get into college—and to succeed once you are admitted.

Pace yourself along the way. Don't wait until junior or senior year of high school to suddenly realize you should have done more as a freshman and sophomore, like taking those honors and AP classes that college admissions offices like to see on transcripts.

Take your PSAT and any appropriate SAT Subject Tests in your in sophomore year. In junior year, explore colleges, learn about financial aid and take more subject tests as needed. This is also the time to take the SAT and/or ACT—twice—once in the fall and once in the spring. Make college visits in the spring and summer. If necessary, retake the SAT or ACT at the beginning of senior year.

Prepare

Use Your Guidance Counselor

Many students don't make adequate use of their school's academic guidance office. Throughout your high school career, counselors can tell you all you need to know about college and SAT and ACT admissions tests, as well as give you expert advice on which classes to take to reach your goals.

Furthermore, the better your guidance counselors get to know you during your high school career, the better they will be able to help you identify, prepare for and gain admission to the college that best matches your needs, interests and skills.

Research. Target Colleges

Most colleges accept both the ACT and the SAT, but be aware that some of your targeted schools may accept only one of them, or strongly prefer one over the other.

Before you take admission tests, it's important to collect as much information as you can on the colleges you are interested in to see which test they prefer, and how they use it in conjunction with other factors such as GPA, extracurricular activities and work experience. Do this early enough to allow yourself time to prepare for and take both tests if you decide to do so.

Practice

Know Your Test

Take practice tests to gain an understanding of how the tests work and how they are structured.

For example, the SAT is longer. It takes 3 hours and 45 minutes. The writing section is mandatory. The ACT, on the other hand, takes 2 hours and 55 minutes to complete—or 3 hours and 25 minutes if the student takes an optional writing test, which is required by some colleges.

Math also accounts for more on the SAT—33 percent, compared to 25 percent for the ACT. The tests also treat incorrect answers quite differently: There is no penalty for an incorrect answer on the ACT, but each incorrect answer on the SAT costs the test-taker 1/4 point.

Do The Math

Whether you intend to major in English or engineering, math remains an important indicator of your ability to think in a structured and logical way—a key factor that colleges examine when considering your admission application.

Even if you excel on other sections of the SAT or ACT, a poor or mediocre showing in the math sections will damage your all-important total score.  If you need outside instruction to avoid falling behind in Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry while in high school, get help while there is still sufficient time to nail down those skills.

For additional information and educational resources on test prep programs, visit SylvanTestPrep.com, an online, on-demand, video-based course that teaches students to increase their PSAT, SAT and ACT scores by being smarter test-takers or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

How To Excel at the SAT and ACT® Tests

More than three million college admissions tests are administered each year, making the SAT and the ACT® two of the most important exams that a high school student will ever take. With the fall tests coming up, the college admissions process can really be a time of anxiousness, with the high stakes of college entrance exams being a major contributor.

Here are a few test tips that are aimed to help ease nerves and help students do well at the tests.
• Start studying early: Help your child set up a study schedule months in advance to allow leisurely preparation and eliminate the need for cramming.
• Encourage effort: College entrance exams will have a big influence on your child’s college admissions. Be honest that it is an important test and that your child needs to take it seriously, try his/her best, relax, and remain calm.
• Take practice tests: Taking multiple practice tests will make your test-takers feel more comfortable with the testing experience and remove much of the mystery involved with college entrance exams.
• Get a good night’s sleep: Studies have found that stress is elevated by fatigue. Be sure that your child has plenty of uninterrupted sleep a few days prior to the test date.
• Eat a healthy breakfast: The SAT and ACT® are generally offered in the morning, so having a healthy breakfast will keep your child energized for a long day, allowing him/her to stay focused and alert.
• Come early and prepared: Make sure your child is at the test site early, and has all of his/her testing supplies. Being late or missing materials will cause unnecessary stress your child does NOT need.
• Stay calm: This can be a very nerve-racking time for students. Remind them that testing is only one piece of the admissions puzzle and reassure them of your confidence and pride in all they have accomplished!

INCREASED COLLEGE ENTRANCE COMPETITION = INCREASED TEST STRESS

The pressure is on. Today, more high school students are applying to more colleges, earlier than ever before. The number of early admission applications has increased dramatically, with some universities seeing double digit jumps. To begin the college process, most students applying to competitive colleges now take the SAT*/ACT® more than once.

Students today know clearly what students in the past may not have known - systematically preparing for the SAT/ACT gives them confidence. They know how to budget their time, they know what the test looks and feels like, they know important strategies like when to guess at an answer. They go into the test practiced and confident. Knowing the content is, of course, the major part of success, and confidence is the icing on the cake.
Students can take the SAT/ACT as many times as they like, but educators suggest taking the tests no more than two or three times. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, offers the following tips to help ease the pressure of testing and achieve the best results:

• Take the tests in the spring of junior year or fall of senior year of high school.
• Know the instructions for each section before you begin the test, you won’t have to waste time reading them during the exam.
• If you don’t know a test answer and can’t eliminate any incorrect answer choices, skip the question and only go back if time permits. For the ACT, remember to go back and take a guess on any unanswered questions, since there’s no penalty for incorrect answers.
• Trust yourself. Rely on your instincts.
• Never leave an easy question blank. Easy questions have easy answers.
• Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
• Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, you generally increase the probability of guessing correctly.
• Save your time. Don’t spend too much time on any single question. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as possible, in order to rack up as many points as possible.
• Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don’t fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough.
• Rushing only hurts you. Work at a good pace and keep track of the time remaining for each section. Enter the exam with confidence.
• End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn’t answer.
• Don’t try to cram for the SAT/ACT overnight. Proper preparation takes weeks, even months, of review.
• Register for a SAT/ACT prep class at least eight weeks before the testing date to provide extra studying assistance and additional confidence.

For more information regarding Sylvan Learning and our SAT and ACT Prep classes, visit http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/test-preparation/index.cfm.